Bill > HB1307

This bill mandates that the office of the Department of Child Services Ombudsman (ombudsman office) **shall** perform certain duties, meaning they are required to do them, rather than having the option to do so. Specifically, the ombudsman office must employ technical experts and other staff to fulfill its responsibilities, and it must receive, investigate, and try to resolve complaints alleging that the Department of Child Services failed to protect a child's physical or mental health or safety, or failed to follow specific laws, rules, or written policies. Furthermore, the ombudsman office is now required to issue recommendations if a complaint is found to have merit or if an investigation uncovers a problem with an agency, facility, or program. The bill also clarifies that if a local child protection team was involved in the initial investigation of a matter, a different local child protection team must assist the ombudsman office in its subsequent investigation. These changes aim to strengthen the oversight and accountability of the Department of Child Services.